Street Maintenance

Street Improvements & Repairs

The Public Works Department is responsible for the maintenance and up keep up over 65 miles of concrete, asphalt, and asphalt overlay streets within the city limits of Ferguson.

It is the mission of the Department of Public Works to provide the best possible service for pavement management utilizing all available funding, current staff, equipment and vehicles, outside contractors, and a priority driven maintenance system. We conduct street re-evaluations every other year on approximately 435 street sections citywide. Each street is evaluated and prioritized based on traffic volume and several condition indicators.

Rating Scale

The rating scale shown below, rates on a scale from 1 to 10, with 1 being low and 10 being high:

1 to 3 is a high priority street needing immediate attention

4 to 6 is in moderate condition

7 to 10 is in good condition

Streets are then selected for either concrete slab replacement or asphalt overlay. The number of streets scheduled to be repaired depends on the amount of funds budgeted for the fiscal year. Maintenance activities include pothole patching for temporary and permanent repair, preventive maintenance practices such as street sweeping and yearly crack sealing.

Street Sweeping

The Public Works Department has two street sweepers that maintain over 65 miles of paved streets in our city plus all the city parking lots and city owned buildings. We make every effort to schedule both sweepers in the field at least four days per week from mid March through November, weather permitting. Our street sweepers are not designed to operate when temperatures are at or below 32 degrees. Our street sweepers have water reservoirs on board for sweeping purposes that would freeze and break causing costly repairs and down time. The city is divided into four equal routes and route activity is scheduled on a rotating basis.

Please keep in mind that it is against our city code to rake or blow leaves into the street or on the city right of ways. When the leaves left on the city streets become wet they are very hazardous to motorists. Street sweepers are not designed to and will not pick up these leaves.

Snow Removal

When winter weather hits our snow removal crews begin the process of plowing and salting to keep our city streets clear for safer travel. Our crews are set up in two 12-hour shifts for 24-hour coverage during winter weather conditions. We clear streets based on priority:

In most cases the crew will clear two lanes on primary streets and one lane on secondary side streets and subdivision streets. As the storm passes we will then start widening all street access.

In a storm, when the snow or ice is constant, it requires ongoing attention on our main primary arteries. We do our best to clear every street in a timely manner but in heavy, continuous weather conditions we must focus on the most heavily traveled streets / main thoroughfares in the city.

Snow Piling

We do not pile snow in front of any driveway. When plowing the streets the plows must push the snow somewhere and snow plows are designed to remove the snow from the street and push it to the side / curb of the streets. This includes the apron of your driveway. There is no way to avoid driveway aprons and plow the street properly.

Community Assistance

We need your help when snow plowing your street. When snow is forecast there are a few simple things you can do to assist during and immediately after a snow:

Don't park on the street. Utilize the full length of your driveway for all household vehicles. This will allow the large plow trucks to pass safely and clear your entire street.

Please observe all posted snow route signs. Check your street for No Parking During Snows signs. If you elect to park your vehicle on the street you will be reported, ticketed, and possibly towed.

If it is necessary to park on the street do not park across from another vehicle. In many cases the snow plow trucks can not pass and will have to back down the street and leave. We will not return until all vehicles have been moved. Your street can not be plowed in this circumstance.

Do not pull out in front of a snow plow or try to pass a snow plow. Keep your distance from any plow truck for safety purposes.

Right-of-Way Issues in General

There are three different types of areas within a city that are often confused with city right-of-ways. They are each different and are maintained by different entities. The three are:

Right-of-Ways

Easements

Common Ground

Right-of-Ways

Right-of-ways are the responsibility of the city or the governing entity for that street. In the City of Ferguson this could include St. Louis County (Elizabeth, Chambers, Hereford, Airport, Bermuda, Hudson, West Florissant) or MoDot (State of Missouri - Florissant Road and Pershall Road). These generally include the street, sidewalk, and the tree lawn area between the street and the sidewalk.

The individual homeowner is generally responsible for maintaining the grass, leaves, trash, and small branches that are located in the tree lawn, the city, county, or state maintains the trees in the public right-of-ways. This is the only one of the three types of areas discussed that the city is responsible for maintain. The city is generally not responsible for anything located in the rear / behind a property. Those areas are usually easements or common ground.

Easements

Easements are the areas on private property that legally allow utilities the right to work on and/or place utility equipment on, over, or under. The property owner / homeowner is responsible for the maintenance for this property and still owns this property, but the utility companies have access and can remove items placed on the easement.

Common Ground

Common ground is owned by a subdivision and is the responsibility of the residents, usually through a board of trustees or similar group. In many cases the adjacent property owners are responsible for the maintenance in the case of no existing subdivision board of trustees or similar group.

Additional Information

If you have an issue concerning a tree located in the public right-of-way or have another concern involving the public right-of-way, please contact the Ferguson Public Works Municipal Services - Street Division at 314-521-8373. Other contacts for public right-of-way Issues:

St. Louis County - 314-615-8538

MoDot - 314-340-4100

Street Lights

Street lights are the property and sole responsibility of Ameren UE. To report a street light out or not working properly, you can contact Ameren UE at 314-342-1000 or visit their website. You must have an exact address, or a pole number to report to Ameren when you call. You can also call the Municipal Services office at 314-521-8373.

The Public Works Department services all Victorian lights located on Florissant Road, Carson Road, Spot Avenue, Church Street. and the lights located in our parks.